The artillery battery at Longues-sur-Mer was built as part of the Atlantic Wall coastal fortifications and was built by German Forces in the first half of 1944, being completed within just four months. Constructed on the Normandy clifftop some 60 metres above the sea level, it was built in one of the best positions to attack the Normandy Landings.
In May 1944 the battery was operational, but the firing command post built on the edge of the cliff did not yet have all the equipment necessary. On D-Day, the Longues-sur-Mer battery forced some of the vessels to retreat in order to avoid being hit however the five guns themselves stopped firing after some direct hits, destroying some. British troops successfully landed at Gold Beach and took over the position on 7 June, capturing 180 men at the battery.
The site is unique in that it’s the only one in France, possibly the world, to have the original guns still in place. It could have fired 45KG shells at targets 22KM away.
Gun Emplacements
Firing Command Post
Source: LiberationRoute.com
